Posts written in April 2017

Alitalia has for many years now been a company incurring consecutive losses year after year. Historically the Italian government has stepped in during times of extreme financial difficulties to bail out the country’s flag carrier. However in 2014 it agreed to sell a 49% stake in the company to UAE based Etihad Airways, which subsequently invested significant resources into Alitalia in order to turn it into a profit making company. Disappointing results nevertheless have continued and Etihad’s attempts to get the company to reduce costs by lowering wages and reducing… Read more

Following the Western penalties imposed on Russian companies in 2014, the Russian government responded with countersanctions, banning imports of many western food products. This encouraged import substitution and made Russian exports more competitive, thus showing that despite the poor state of east-west relations, there are plenty opportunities to be found in the Russian market. The Russian government, with an already set goal to diversify its economy which is heavily dependent on energy exports, has provided RUB215bn ($3.2bn) for the development of the agricultural sector, resulting in sudden and significant growth…. Read more

On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, a historic result the likes of which has never been seen. On June 5, 1975 the UK voted overwhelmingly in favor of remaining in the EU (then called the European Community) and the thought of any member state actually leaving is a very recent phenomenon. Many point to the Great Recession of 2008-09 as the catalyst for the most recent wave of anti-EU sentiment but opposition to the EU has existed in the UK since it joined… Read more

The global banking industry has experienced healthy growth in recent years, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7% between 2012 and 2016 to reach a value of $134.1 trillion, according to data from research firm MarketLine. The company’s latest report states that Asia-Pacific continued to be the largest region in terms of asset value, accounting for over 42% of the global total in 2016. Europe followed with over 38%, while the United States remained a large industry influence with 12%. China once again reigned supreme as the single… Read more

The first conference held by the IMF since the economic policy of the United States underwent dramatic changes following the election victory of Donald Trump already shows strong signs of moving towards a position designed to appease the new president. Differences between previous statements and policies from the IMF and what is now being espoused point towards the dropping of the pledge occurring for political purposes. Indeed the language used by the German Finance Minister and that of the IMF shows a stark contrast between views on the matter. Whilst… Read more

First of all, the preference of French voters is clarified from the polls as three quarters of voting preferences tend to be gathered among center to right wing politicians. This indicates certain prevailing trends of voters such as the need for sense of security and the adjustment of France’’ foreign relations with Europe and the rest of the world. Nevertheless, even immigration and foreign relations are associated with economic policies over unemployment, welfare state, national security and certain industries of the French economy. Especially, unemployment and social protection are fundamental… Read more

Australia has always been a country which is protective of its individuals and its environment. With growing concerns of an increased number of individuals from other countries moving to Australia for work and to start a new life, especially in the current political climate in other countries, the Australian government says it is looking out for the Australian nationals by cutting down the list of careers on the 457 visa list. This will be replaced with two shorter visas with limited possibility for the visa holders to apply for permanent… Read more

On the 18th of April 2017 UK Prime Minister Teresa May announced a snap general election. For months political commentators had been speculating that this might happen, as the opposition parties were weak and the time looked opportune. Conservatives were strong and Prime Minister May needed a strong mandate to help with the exceptional political circumstances that the Brexit vote and subsequent resignation of David Cameron left behind. On announcement the argument provided was exactly this; that the Prime Minister wanted to build on her majority to make sure that… Read more

As common household names, celebrities are always being discussed; especially in modern society. The Beckham family is no different, although their fame has stems from football and music to the latest venture of fashion. Victoria Beckham has recently partnered with Target, a US retailer to sell her range of cheap designer clothes for all age ranges and all sizes. Whilst this range is extensive, it is set to only be available for a limited period of time, with online access as well through victoriabeckham.com creating a global customer base. The… Read more

Price differentiation of an airline company has been implemented so far on the means of absorbing the consumers’ willingness to pay for the same service, an economy class with frills. In this way, not much price differentiation existed on the value of services as the distinction made was only between economy and business class. This distinction of services was too steep to keep out many consumers that would be available to pay for the price of a ticket with no frills and lower quality of services. The surging penetration of… Read more

Iran is a growing hub for transportation, acting as a critical connection point between India and Russia/ Europe. Until recently, the Suez Canal served as the quickest transport route between India and Russia however with Iran undergoing rail infrastructure upgrades and also building part of the North-South corridor, Iran is set to become a key part of the ongoing development of transport links using the rail network. The North-South corridor has the potential to cut the transport time by around 50% and is sure to disrupt the naval transportation market…. Read more

After decades of sanctions, the US government under Obama announced in early 2016 that it was lifting sanctions on Iran, due to the latter’s compliance with the IAEA over its nuclear programme. One of the strongest beneficiaries of this removal of US led western sanctions on Iran seems to be the Iranian aviation industry, which in recent months has concluded billion dollar deals with major aircraft producers such as Boeing and Airbus, for the purchase of hundreds of planes. The deal with Boeing alone is said to go as far… Read more

AMD has for a number of years been kicked into the long grass by Intel in producing processors. Whichever way it’s measured, sheer performance, market share, sales figures or reputation, Intel has controlled the desktop and laptop chip processor market. However AMD has been preparing a very significant challenge to fight back. In early 2017 AMD announced the details of its next series of chips and took the market by storm. AMD had found a way to make its chips competitive with the very best Intel chips and even better… Read more

It seems like an eternity since the European Commission (EC) told RBS that it needed to divest of some of its banking operations as a result of receiving state aid in the form of a bailout. The EC argued that it would be unfair to enjoy such a position of power in the UK banking market (particularly in the SME segment) having needed such an injection of government cash. Almost nine years on from receiving that funding, the bank is no closer to any such divestment, having seen three separate… Read more

US Pay TV subscriptions have been in decline over recent years. With advancements in technology and the way some viewers changing the way they watch their favorite TV shows, it is observable that growth in the online streaming services industry presents an opportunity to those like Sky and BT. Additionally, companies like Amazon Video & Netflix reaping in the subscribers worldwide. This has meant a huge surge in popularity for Smart TV devices which host applications allowing them to project their streaming content on pretty much any modern TV. With… Read more

Online storage is a huge leap forward in technology, allowing files to be accessed from anywhere without the need to send them via email. Files can be shared in a much simpler fashion and can be locked to ensure that any changes made are present in a single file as opposed to numerous versions of the file. This online system serves as a backup for companies and customers. A network of banking telecommunications (SWIFT) has been the target of numerous hacking and data leaks over recent years, serving to reduce… Read more

The global telecommunications services market has experienced decline in recent years, registering a negative compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.4% between 2012 and 2016 to reach a value of $1.2 trillion, according to data from research firm MarketLine. The company’s latest report shows that the market declined significantly in Europe and also underwent contraction in Asia-Pacific (APAC). Low growth in the US was not sufficient to offset these reductions, causing an overall decline on a global scale. Nicholas Wyatt, Analyst for MarketLine, explains: “The global telecommunications market has declined… Read more

The mobile phone market is extremely competitive and in order to retain customers, companies need to provide them with the best products and also a good level of security and customer service. Samsung is attempting to recoup its losses from the Note 7 from 2016 after it was recalled and ceased manufacturing with its latest release the Samsung Galaxy S8. The fear for Samsung is that it will not only be facing competition from the market but also from its customers whose trust has been put to the test in… Read more

The Australian mining sector is said to have witnessed a boom from 2003 onwards, as demand from China, Japan and other major Asian markets surged as a consequence of strong growth. Simultaneously this strong demand boosted commodity prices, resulting in large profits for the Australian mining sector. However as growth in the Australian mining sector’s largest export market China has decelerated in recent years and fears of stronger decreases in the future emerged, the Australian mining sector has taken a hit. Another major export market Japan too suffered financial instability… Read more

The educational applications business is a multi-billion dollar industry which is growing yearly. Education is seen as a necessary part of life and has provided society with new ideas and has assisted in growth. The increased reach of internet and the technological boom has opened education back into the home to help make parents feel more included. This has reduced the strain on teachers and has helped teach children in the digital environment, along with traditional education, which will help accustom them growing digital trends. Increased hand-eye coordination and better… Read more